An unapologetic collection of observations from the field as the world comes to what promises to be a glorious and, at the same time, a very nasty end.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Protecting America's Youth from Tim Tebow

Okay, I have to follow up here. I'm getting fire from the left over my Tebow post. I have a question for those who find Tim's behavior unacceptable.

Is it that you find public Christian prayer offensive? Are you afraid the impressionable youth of America might look up from their game of Halo II or III or whatever it is and break out in a bad case of Christianity.

Again, I ask, "So what if Tebow takes a knee?"

A lot of more conservative folk find the public spectacle of two Navy women locking lips on a pier disturbing. The same critics who find Tebow's prayer disturbing, ask us to not only overlook this sort of public display of belief without comment, but to indure the interminable accolades of the press for the "bravery" these women have shown.

I myself have never said a critical word about what the two lesbian Navy gals did. It's a free country. They can smooch if they want to.

But, whether we agree or disagree with a person's public actions, it is fair to say we cannot go inside a person's head and divine a motive other than one expressed openly by the actor. Perhaps the Navy girls were merely demonstrating their love for one another. Perhaps they were flaunting their sexuality to piss off people who think their behavior deviant. It is not for me or you to attach any meaning to their behavior other than the meaning they themselves express verbally. They did state they that they knew this act was making a statement about being gay. Mystery solved. We now know what they intended. Evidently some shipmates bought extra raffle tickets to help stack the deck so their lesbian shipmate would be awarded the traditional "first kiss". A crowd of gay rights supporters were at the pier to cheer on the couple. They have every right to make whatever public statement they want to make.

Same with Tebow. So what if you think his religion absurd. He has the right to express it so long as it hurts no one or threatens their physical safety.

Critics claim Jesus condemned public prayer of this sort "somewhere in the Bible" Well, yes, Jesus did condemn the words of one public prayer. The words of the prayer were spoken aloud by a Pharisee. "Thank God I am not like that wicked tax collector over there." Christ condemned the Pharisee's condemnation without knowledge of his fellow believer who's prayer was, "God be merciful to me a sinner." That second prayer was also a public one and was not condemned by Jesus. It's is not that the prayer is public, it is the purpose of the prayer that is important.

The prophet Daniel's life was threatened by a law which forbade anyone to pray to any God other than the King. It was Daniel's custom to pray at the window daily. He did not change that custom simply because an immoral law had been passed. He went to the lion's den for his faith, though it would have been simpler to shut all his windows and pray in private.

Tim Tebow has physical gifts few people have. People with ordinary physical talents don't become NFL players. He also has some mental gifts because few NFL players become starting quarterbacks (1 in 45?). Tebow receives public accolades for those gifts because he uses them in a public venue.

Tim has much to be thankful for. His mother had difficulty with the pregnancy and docs advised her he would be either stillborn or badly damaged. They recommended an abortion to save her life. Mrs. Tebow refused and carried Tim to term. He was skinny and had difficulty eating when he was born. Needless to say he outgrew it.

To me that's reason enough to "take a knee" in gratitude, I don't care who finds it "an absurdity". And unless you guys are mind-readers, you cannot say with any certainty what his true motives are.

His critics have a right to comment. I'm just not sure why they think it's important to do so.

Are they protecting America's youth from corruption by Christians?

Okay, I can see that. You wouldn't want that going around. People might start treating others the way they want to be treated. Once that sort of thing gets started, God knows where it will end.

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I’m a native Texan, free-lance writer, teacher,
counselor, fund-raiser, grant-writer, nonprofit CEO & advocate working with children, youth, seniors, people with
disabilities and the homeless. I’m a Seventh day Adventist Christian, Reagan conservative, amateur folk guitarist, banjo player, sailor and canoer. I'm happily married to Sheila Keen, a tall pretty Louisiana girl and together we've had 3
children. We tragically lost our son, Micah in 2006. We've since moved to the Pacific Northwest where we are healing and reordering our lives. We
look forward to Christ's soon return and being reunited with all our loved ones..